Mitutoyo Announces Creation of U.S. Optics Manufacturing Facility

Mitutoyo Corporation, a global leader in contact and non-contact metrology solutions, has announced the establishment of a new U.S. subsidiary, Mitutoyo Optics Manufacturing America Corporation (MOMAC). Located in Kirkland, Wash., MOMAC is Mitutoyo’s first optical manufacturing site in North America, and will focus on manufacturing specialized optical equipment.

The first product to be produced by MOMAC will be the Mitutoyo TAGLENS, the world’s fastest varifocal lens. Invented at Princeton University by a team led by Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Craig Arnold and subsequently developed by TAG Optics Inc., a New Jersey-based start-up that licensed the technology, the patented TAGLENS works by using a piezoelectric material to generate ultrasonic waves in a liquid, resulting in an index of refraction profile that creates a simple lens element. This versatile device has the ability to scan over a complete range of focal lengths in only microseconds. The TAGLENS has been transforming the field of biological/medical imaging and is also creating a large impact in the industrial inspection, manufacturing and machine vision markets. In 2016, Mitutoyo acquired a controlling stake in TAG Optics Inc.

Michael Nahum, President of MOMAC, remarked:“The establishment of MOMAC will enable Mitutoyo to manufacture a high quality version of the TAGLENS and use it to add new capabilities to our imaging products and provide our customers with best in-class capabilities.”

Mitutoyo first plans to offer the TAGLENS as part of customers’ quality inspection lines, and microscope and non-contact automatic inspection equipment. Mitutoyo expects that MOMAC’s production of the TAGLENS will start in 2018.